Cash for The Cupcake - £600 Savings Challenge

juicyjackieb

Sigh.... So financially this week has been pretty poo.

I set myself a strict budget that aside from my adhoc trip to Costco I was sticking to. I was on track to be funnelling my current account balance into my EF tomorrow with around £30 that I had left sitting there then BAM checked my balance and it's down to £5.56.

Bums, ballbags and more bums. In my budgeting I had completely forgotten about the monthly interest / Gold account fee and it whittled me down to a fiver.

The good thing I suppose is that with me being careful I actually had money in my account for them to take without taking me over the limit and getting charges. I can now also adjust my spending budget for next month to include it. Lesson learnt.

Tomorrow is the last day that I will have something big to pay out for, I am buying my OH's Valentine's gift for £75. It's a bit much but it's worth it and he spoilt me rotten at Christmas and I was reserved; this will rebalance things.

That said I don't anticipate much money being left over in current account come next Friday, but after tomorrow's pay out things will be nice and flat on a weekly basis, no more big chunks to come out which will help out immensely.

And that £5.56 will be transferred.... Every penny helps.

juicyjackieb

Right - I guess its time for a end of month progress thingy!

Good things... I started taking my finances very seriously. I actually think I am bordering on the obsessively boring so I need to reel it in a bit with the mister and friends. Just need to stick to boring you all instead.

Tangible Positive

- My goal is to have an end of year emergency pot of £600, as of now its £81.42 - not too bad; although I secretly wanted to smash it £100, despite me not actually starting my challenge until the 19th January.

- I also found me using mint.com to go through my spending habits really helpful and scary. I was oblivious how easily I frittering away my money on rubbish. That has now stopped.

- I have gone through my income / outcome and set myself a budget on key areas, starting 1st February. I know when things are coming out, how my money is separated weekly.

Opportunities

- Aside from budgeting I sat down and reviewed big and small ways to save pennies and pounds. Getting and using coupons, redeeming forgotten cashback... I am doing it all.

- Signed up for a few extra ways to earn a few pennies; surveys (£8.00 earned in 2 weeks), Textbroker (where you get paid to write web content) and peopleperhour where I list my product reviews for a fee on my diet blog (I have lost 7st, may as well get something good out of it?). I dont expect anything out of these to be honest, but the effort has been made, at least I know I have tried.

- Ebaying! I have been going through my wardrobe and spare room before I hit the 3 suitcases I have in the loft. It shall all be gone this year!

- Meal prep and home made breakfasts and lunches. I have really cut back on my eating out, grabbing on the go and eating unplanned. I am used to meal prepping for my diet, now I am doing it for money saving too.

- Competitions. I have entered a fair few, the prizes are less and there are fewer comps than years ago, but a few wins here in their for time where I am just dolloped in front of the TV, I may as well keep on it and see if a few prizes trickle in.

- THE BIG ONE - I saw an article on MSE about people claiming back monthly fees from Natwest for having a Gold Account and it being Miss-sold. I looked through the justifications for claims and nodded a lot about why they think they might be eligible. I agreed with a lot of their points so tonight I submitted a claim through their website. Again I am making no assumptions, I imagine they will argue with me or offer me a token to shut up but I am pleased I submitted it, even if it is fruitless. That said if I do get a reimbursement (as some others have) it could be anything between 1k-2k. So yes, worth a punt.

Threats for February

- Company Relocation - although its amazing awesome news, news that I have been waiting 6 months for its also thrown a spanner in my financials. The company I work for is currently situated in what is know as a "right c-hole". We have rats, wallpaper peeling off, threadbare carpets, mould, basically its unfit. We are relocating to a glamorous city centre high rise with other companies milling about looking professional. The good AMAZING news it will chop my daily commute from 1.5 hours each way to just under an hour each way which is a dream. I get to do things after work. I get to go out at lunch not sit indoors in the middle of nowhere listening to the rats. DREAM!!

The problem is all of us right now dress casually, because no one sees us. It has been made very clear we need to now dress work appropriate from when we relocate on the 9th of Feb. Having lost so much weight my wardrobe has been replaced several times over, I have stuck to basics, mostly from ebay. I now need to take it up a level; my boss said some of what I wear will be fine, just add a necklace and some smart shoes. But now I am worried I need to buy even more clothes and accessories to look smart enough and to do it ASAP before we move in!

I am excited about the change of scene, the better working environment and the reduced commute... just worried at looking like a hobo in the lifts with all the solicitors and executives. Sigh... time will tell. I do want to stick to my budget, including my clothes allowance!

Looking ahead

Thinking about where I want to be by the end of Feb; at my target of £100 to keep my on track to get end of year full pot. I will probably be relocated by then so I will know my new schedule and will feel more settled. I hope I will be sticking to schedule and continuing with food prep and budget lunches from home. I will keep my plans to that, for now.

patanne

I think your boss is yanking your collective chains! Unless they are going to be coming into your offices then the only thing to avoid is absolute embarrassment in the lift. Are you paid anywhere near as much as those solicitors are? If he expects you to dress like them then he should pay you like them. (Yes I know - said very tongue in cheek).

It does sound like he is trying to go upmarket a bit so as you said I would be prepared to change to monthly pay. It used to be normal to offer a lump sum inducement but I don't know if that is still the norm. But wouldn't it be nice not to take up their offer of an advance to "tide you over".

Mara_uk7

Charity shops ! I love rummaging for beads and necklaces ! Some gorgeous things find their way in there, some of it proper "vintage", i buy loads, even ones i dont like, but like the components, then restring or amalgamate them myself ! Hey presto .. One off exclusive pieces ! Another good way to tart up an outfit is scarves, check out youtube for ways to tie them in fancy schmancy ways . The right accesories really make your basic wardrobe pop ! (Well done on the weightloss .. Im way behind you, but trying hard ! )

dalleDF

You need a capsule wardrobe! Skirt, trousers and smart jacket, in black so you can mix and match, then just wear your normal coloured tops or whatever underneath, and accessorise with cheapo scarves and jewellery as people have suggested above. M&S is really good for work basics, and not too expensive. Well done on the savings pot, it has really grown already!

juicyjackieb

Thanks guys!! I am going to be dipping into the charity shops over the next few weeks. Although the move date is the 9th we aren't actually confident it will happen then due to a history of things going Pete Tong with my companies organisation, so hopefully I have a few weeks yet!

On a side note I spent my Sunday meal prepping my teets off - gotta say I am proud this week! I am a regular prepper for my dieting anyway, but I am working hard now to chip away at the food in the cupboard as my BF is a sauce jar hoarder.



1 drum of cooked chicken, cooked on the bone thighs and stripped of the meat. Will be used for lunches and sandwiches or just thrown in wherever.

3 portion of Thai green prawn curry lots of veg - 225 calories per portion

5 portions of chicken casserole, it’s ok, filling and cheap, handy for a last minute meal out of the freezer - 419 calories

5 salad grab bags (no dressing) for lunches - 45 calories

2 portions of egg mayo 175 cals each

4 sliced melon grab bags 40 calories each

2 baggies of sliced carrots 25 calories

FEBRUARY I AM READY

thisisit2015

great start...am subscribing - also on a weight loss...need to loose around 8 stone, have lost 2 already so still going, know what you mean about clothes, i hvae already gone down 1 size and aiming for a good few more, but it is expensive...and you can only put so many extra belt holes in!!!!
good luck x

juicyjackieb

So far so good with my eating - although to be fair its only Tuesday! I ate my food prep, smashed 595 calories at the gym last night oooshhhh get in!

I did have a fab email this morning. I placed an "available" ad on a website to do paid product reviews on my diet blog. I only placed the ad Sunday and I had my first quote request! It has a guide price of £10 and to keep the product for free, but a tenner is a tenner plus I am immensely flattered. 400 words review a cooking product - FUN!

So far (since Saturday) I haven't dipped into my bank account, I have used the £12 in change to get bottles of pop to take to work and some 69p fruit deals from Aldi last night but that's it. I do like the idea of just taking out a set amount each week, once my purse is empty, its empty, maybe bank any surplus on Saturday morning when I waddle down to the high street to buy my food bargains from the market. Although I'm not sure the cashier will be too happy to accept £2.86 to bank!

I am hoping to add to my balance today; I am taking the ebay down to the post office and using my paypal card to pay the postage so it all comes from the profit balance, fair and square. I am squashing all the packets as flat as I can so I can keep the postage low... money saving like a boss!

Eyebright

Hi Jackie,


Finally read through your diary, wow you are so motivated! Please can you send some my way!
I have plenty to eBay, just need to pull my finger out and list some stuff. Oh, and do my Uniform Tax Rebate claim.


Also need motivating with my diet...that's not going well either, though I did manage to drag myself to the gym tonight. Doubt I burnt 500 calories though, you go girl!

juicyjackieb

Thank you eyebright! Weight loss is a up and down for me, I have read a lot of thoughts linking poor money management and obesity; not because I like to spend it on food but because I lack self discipline in all areas of my life.... I can't disagree!

I am happy to say that I transferred over the balance of my Paypal balance from my eBay sales last week; after fees and postage I banked a respectable £23.23... Not too shabby. I am now officially in the "£100 saved"club! If I can do this every week I'd hit my end of year target in the summer! Dream!!